Accepting the Sweet Truth
A group of Yidden were once sitting together discussing the great love that the Ribbono shel Olam has for every Yid—even after they have stumbled with aveiros. This isn’t because the sin isn’t terrible and severe, but because of the great rachmanus that the Ribbono shel Olam has on this poor Yid who is sadly so distant. This alone arouses great love and mercy from Hashem on this Yid.
One of the people sitting there could not accept this. He said: These are lies! I was taught that when a Yid does aveiros, there are terrible punishments and judgments. How can you tell me that the Ribbono shel Olam loves us after we have sinned? There is so much Divine fury and anger directed at this person... how can you say that Hashem has great love for him?
The Beis HaMikdash Was a Place of Love After Sin
We must greatly pity such a Yid for carrying such a viewpoint. But there’s also good news: He can open a Chumash and see clearly what the Torah has to say about this. The Torah says that we were commanded to offer korbanos. What are korbanos? What was the Mishkan? What are all the parashiyos from Terumah to Pekudei all about? They all have the same message: The Ribbono shel Olam says, “Come, let us build a place that will be saturated and permeated with love. “And what will we do in this place?” asks the Yid. The answer is that if you stumble, you will be able to come here, and all your sins will be forgiven.
But, this Yid may ask, if this is a place created for people who have stumbled, how can we call it a place permeated with love? Where’s the room where we’ll be shouted at and shamed because of what we have done? Where’s the chamber where we’ll be spanked? Says the Ribbono shel Olam: “No, this is place where you will bring korbanos and this will awaken your love for Me!” This love will bring you to break down in tears of regret and repentance... tears of desire to be close to Hashem... tears amid which we will cry out that we want to be better.
The Beis HaMikdash was a place especially established as an address for those who have stumbled. On the holiest day of the year, when the Kohen Gadol went into the Holy of Holies, what was he preoccupied with? The sins of Klal Yisrael!
When a Yid comes before the Ribbono shel Olam and remembers the inner bonds of love, and how he is meant to appear, this breaks his heart into pieces with regret for how he currently is. He appreciates that the Ribbono shel Olam sustains him and shows great mercy to and love for him as He guides him through life. This recognition arouses the desire to yearn for a new life. It awakens within him feelings of teshuvah meahavah, to return to Hashem out of feelings of love.
Cleansing Hearts
When a Yid stumbles with sin, in addition to becoming distanced from Hashem, his heart becomes clogged with timtum halev, because every aveirah clogs the heart of a Yid from being able to feel his neshamah and connect with Hashem.
But when we study the parashiyos of machatzis hashekel and korbanos, we appreciate our own exaltedness and the love that Hashem has for us, which brings us to repentance and regret for what we have done. Then, Hashem doesn’t merely forgive us for the aveiros, He also removes the timtum from our hearts. “Atonement” –kaparah—is an expression of cleansing—because we become cleansed from all the blemishes we have brought upon ourselves.
Reflect Upon the Love
The Ribbono shel Olam tells us, “Let Me tell you how it was the first time when you failed with the Chet HaEgel, and through this you will know what to do in future instances.
“The first time it happened, I instructed you to be counted through a machatzis hashekel so you will see the great love I have for you, like precious sheep.” This is what you must always do: Reflect upon the love Hashem has for His precious children even after they have stumbled. Your korbanos, and the corresponding sacrifices that we bring even when we don’t have the Beis HaMikdash, such as extra learning and giving tzedakah, are all meant to remind us of the bonds of love that we have with the Ribbono shel Olam.
This is the avodah a Yid must engage in after he has stumbled.
